Republicans have choice to make for Feb. 5 election

Come Feb. 5, Republicans in Obion County will have a choice to make — vote Republican so they can select a presidential candidate or vote Democrat so they can vote for assessor of property.
Administrator of elections Katie Guess said she knows there will be some upset people, but “that’s the way the law works.”
The February election includes a presidential preference election for Democrats and Republicans and the local Democratic primary for the office of assessor of property. The Republicans did not call a primary for assessor of property. Plus, since all candidates who filed the appropriate paperwork for assessor of property by the deadline filed under the Democratic primary, no other candidates can be added to the ballot in November.
Mrs. Guess said all candidates who wished to run for assessor of property had the same deadline to file the paperwork. The deadline to be considered as a write-in candidate has also passed.
Candidates who filed the appropriate paperwork for assessor of property include Gordon Fox, David Godwin, Robert George Kendall, Kathy P. Robertson and Judy D. Smith. The winner of the primary will have his or her name placed on the general ballot in November. Because no one filed paperwork to run on the November ballot, the winner of the Democratic primary will be the assessor of property.
Early voting for the Feb. 5 election begins Jan. 16 and ends Jan. 31 and will be held at the Obion County Election Office at 308 Bill Burnett Circle in Union City. The office will be closed on Jan. 21 for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Monday is the last day to register to vote for those residents wishing to cast their selections in the Feb. 5 election. Residents who still need to accomplish that task may fill out the appropriate paperwork at the election office. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Obion Countians who are registered to vote but who have moved within the county and failed to switch their address with the election office have until Jan. 29 to make the change.
Later in the year, Samburg will be electing a new mayor and two aldermen, while Kenton will pick new board members for its special school district. Though that election won’t be until August, residents wishing to run for those offices need to pick up qualifying papers at the election office beginning today. They must be submitted before noon April 3.
Associate Editor Donna Ryder can be contacted by e-mail at dryder@ucmessenger.com.
Published in The Messenger 1.4.08

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